Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Asghmuqam area of Anantnag district this afternoon, an army official said. The gunbattle started when militants opened fire on security force personnel who had cordoned off Siligam village to carry out a search operation, the official added. He said the search operation was still in progress while the identity of the slain militants was being ascertained.

In a separate operation in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, which entered its 11th day today, the security forces killed one militant while efforts were on to flush out his accomplices, the official said.

The unidentified militant was killed in the encounter in the dense forests of Manigah, where Colonel Santosh Mahadik was killed last week, he said.

Security forces are continuing a massive search operation in the forest near the Line of Control (LoC) since November 13 following information about presence of a group of heavily-armed militants.

On November 17, an encounter between the militants and the security forces left Colonel Mahadik, Commanding Officer of 41 Rashtriya Rifles, dead. In another exchange of fire yesterday, two army personnel including a Lt Colonel were injured in the district yesterday.